diff --git a/scripts/circleci_build.sh b/scripts/circleci_build.sh
index 45419861a..f8fecb919 100755
--- a/scripts/circleci_build.sh
+++ b/scripts/circleci_build.sh
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ conda-build:
 CONDARC
 )
 
-REQUIREMENTS="numpy cython cmake boost arrow-cpp pytz python-dateutil"
-
 cat << EOF | docker run -i \
                     -v ${ROOT_DIR}:/root_dir \
                     -a stdin -a stdout -a stderr \
@@ -30,16 +28,17 @@ cat << EOF | docker run -i \
 
 export PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
 
-set -e
+set -ex
 
 echo "$config" > ~/.condarc
 # A lock sometimes occurs with incomplete builds. The lock file is stored in build_artefacts.
 conda clean --lock
 
-export CONDA_ENV=pandas-test
+export ENV_NAME=pandas-test
+REQUIREMENTS="numpy cython cmake boost arrow-cpp pytz python-dateutil"
 
-conda create -y -q -n $CONDA_ENV python=3.5
-source activate $CONDA_ENV
+conda create -y -q -n $ENV_NAME python=3.5
+source activate $ENV_NAME
 
 conda install --yes --quiet conda-forge-build-setup
 source run_conda_forge_build_setup
@@ -49,8 +48,8 @@ conda install -y -q $REQUIREMENTS
 mkdir test-build
 cd test-build
 
-export ARROW_HOME=~/.conda/envs/$CONDA_ENV
-export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:~/.conda/envs/$CONDA_ENV/lib
+export ARROW_HOME=~/.conda/envs/$ENV_NAME
+export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:~/.conda/envs/$ENV_NAME/lib
 
 cmake /root_dir || exit 1
 make -j4 || exit 1